A Professor of Medicine and Nephrology at the University of Ghana Medical School, Prof. Vincent Boima, has called for a study into the local gin (akpeteshie) to determine its safety for the body.
He said the local gin contained methanol, which he described as unhealthy for the body.
"It is toxic. But we are consuming this in large amounts.
"That can be a potential reason to say maybe there is kidney disease. It could increase your risk of kidney stones, etc., and so, the local akpeteshie per se, has to be studied to see if it is safe for our consumption or not," Prof. Boima said at a public lecture in Accra.
The event was the second day of a two-day public lecture to mark the 25th anniversary of the University of Ghana College of Health Sciences.
It was on the theme: “To eat or not to eat: Dietary habits and the courting of kidney diseases."
Methanol
Methanol is often found in Akpeteshie, as it is a natural byproduct of the fermentation process and can also be a contaminant from improper distillation techniques.
While Akpeteshie's active ingredient is ethanol, the presence and levels of methanol can vary significantly, with some studies showing high concentrations in local samples.
Consumption of methanol can lead to severe health problems, including blindness and death.
Excessive water intake
On water intake, he said, “Our nutritionist, professional nutritionist, had already educated the public about water intake. Nobody is saying that we should drown ourselves with water.”
Prof. Boima advised that adequate intake of water was what everybody required, warning that excessive water intake can also lead to water intoxication.
"So, there is water intoxication; we take in water that dilutes down all your electrolytes, especially the sodium," he warned.
He added that when the water diluted the sodium as low as possible, "you can even have seizures.
"So, adequate intake of water is what is required," he said, adding that it was dependent on body weight.
Prof. Boima explained that ‘adequate’ was relative because, “people take about two litres of water per hour, three litres per hour, among others, but normally, you can also increase the average water intake per body weight.”
He explained that there were different formulas of body mass index, or ways of estimating how much fluid was required for the body mass.
Paracetamol
On whether paracetamol could cause kidney damage, a Senior Research Fellow at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical School, Dr Dwomoa Adu, explained that ordinary paracetamol, in doses of up to three or four grams a day, would not cause kidney damage.
"So it's a safe painkiller in that respect," he said, adding that it was safer than anti-inflammatory, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
He, however, warned that taking an overdose of paracetamol amounted to poisoning oneself, adding that it was often associated with kidney failure.
Dr Adu dismissed the perception that sweetened beverages in cocoa could lead to kidney damage.
"Unless you become diabetic from an excessive amount of sugar, and then it will take 10 years or 15 years for you to get kidney damage.
"So, taking cocoa as a drink itself does not cause kidney damage," he assured the public.
